FOOD COMA.




life has been nothing short of "interesting" around here and for many, many reasons. mostly due to the fact that while carter spent a week with bronchitus and i attempted NOT to get sick, reality slapped me in the face when i woke up with strepp throat the following week. needless to say, there has been quite a bit of laziness going on around here and with an impending move lurching in the shadows, there's just not a lot of time for that. speaking of which, last week we both let our jobs know about our plans of re-locating. and it felt glorious to get that off my chest. while under the weather, we got a lot accomplished in the tv world... not only did we watch the entire first season of once upon a time and became slightly obsessed, we also caught up on every other show we're invested in (30rock, parks&rec, vampire diaries, new girl, etc.) our appetites also did a complete 180 during this time. and after almost two weeks of the smallest meals known to man...it was time for a change. 

so on thursday, our only day off together and the first day my fever wasn't threatening, we decided to treat ourselves to a little lunch date. we drove to james island to take care of an errand and while in the area decided to hit up smoky oak taproom for lunch. we picked delicious pumpkin ales and pulled pork sandwiches with all the fixins'. and ho-ly cannolis were they good...

after lunch, i needed a little cat nap. it's funny to even think that eating could have exhausted me the way it did, but while he played video games, i fell into a food coma. flash forward an hour or so, i finally awoke and we decided to spend the evening on a haunted adventure. it was our first time visiting a haunted house together and while carter's hand is still recovering from my sweaty death-grip, i am still giggling at his startled screams. i don't see us paying much in the future again for one of these experiences. i was all for it until riiiight when we started "the asylum"....yeah, not for me. but we ended the night on a haunted hayride and i secretly enjoyed hiding in carter's arms, so i'm okay with that ;)



.... 

TUESDAY TUNES.





so, it happened. i caught whatever icky sickness carter had. i've been drinking lots of warm things attempting to soothe my scratchy, swollen throat. and my main goal for today? < R E S T >  that's right. i will be curled up in my favorite quilt all day attempting to lower my fever. i've got quite a few movies lined up for the day and some homemade chicken noodle soup on the stove. because it's about the only thing i can get down these days. and i must start feeling better soon so i can enjoy my only day off with the boy coming up. but for now, i hope you will enjoy these tunes i've been playing on repeat this week. 


now playing // fleet foxes: white winter hymnal. this song is perfect for the cool autumn breeze that is becoming more common around charleston. oh, how i love the fall. 
now playing // neil young: harvest moon. hey all you moon seekers. for me, this song brings back a flood of memories from highschool and college, sitting around a table with friends playing this song. my friend andy, you can read more about him here, loved singing this song and i can still hear him doing so to this day. 
now playing // the civil wars: NPR music tiny desk. if you love the civil wars like myself, i urge you to take a few minutes to watch their music tiny desk concert for npr. seriously, can they be more talented...or gorgeous (hello, johnny depp look alike) 



so i've got a movie marathon and a cute nurse calling my name. 
hope you're healthy and having a wonderful week!



AROUND THIS TOWN.





with each passing day it looks as though the mister and i will be making our way back to the mountains in tennessee. (more on that at a later date.) so with every free moment, we are seeking out charleston's finest. on friday we spent the morning downtown. we walked around the lovely waterfront park where the "pineapple fountain" can be seen. and we sat on the pier watching the birds fly over the peaceful harbor. in these moments, i struggle with the decision to move away from this beautiful place. but i just keep telling myself, "you can always return." before i could get too somber, we grabbed pumpkin spiced lattes and drove around the historic district relishing in the cool breeze coming off the shore. it's time to start searing the memories of every piece of this town. 



...

STUFF I LOVE SUNDAY.





around here, sunday mornings are very sacred to us. we use them to catch a few extra hours of sleep and enjoy the morning together. we brew a pot of coffee, put a record on in the living room and scour the cabinets for breakfast ideas. i finally found an electric griddle (brand new and for next to nothing) that made carter happier than a kid on christmas. so we've been using it quite a bit and one of our favorite and easiest things to make are pancakes. the aroma of blueberries or even sometimes chocolate chips fill the kitchen and it's hard to imagine them tasting better than they smell. but they do, every.single.time! so i guess i don't see either of us becoming tired of the trusty ol' pancake any time soon... and that is perfectly fine with me! plus, we enjoy the little traditions we've started together and hope to continue throughout the years and share with our little family. 


do you have any favorite traditions?

| what we listened to this morning |
the black keys // everlasting light
how cool is that fan-made video?!


hope you and yours had a lovely weekend!

PUMPKIN PICKING.






the past week has been pretty quiet around here. carter has been home and fighting a nasty chest cold all week and i've been trying my best to look after him while crossing my fingers that i don't catch his bug. (seriously, i'm knocking on a wooden table, again.) when i was younger, i couldn't be anywhere near someone who was sick without becoming twice as bad as them. the common cold woud turn into bronchitus and combined with a lifetime of asthma, my little lungs just never had a chance. but ever since i started running and attempting a healthier lifestyle, i have felt my immune system slowly but surely improving and that has been the greatest motivator. 

the weather has been unbelievable here the past few days. so after breakfast in bed and a full morning of rest, we took advantage of the beautiful afternoon and went to pick out our pumpkin. boone hall plantation (you may have heard of it recently...think blake lively & ryan reynolds wedding) is one of our favorite places in charleston. and there really is no better way of getting into the fall spirit. this place has hundreds of bright orange pumpkins lining the fields, vintage tractors, games for kids and the savory smell of fresh kettle corn. it didn't take long for us to find "our" perfect pumpkin but we enjoyed walking through the decorated tents and breathing in the harvest air. 


|| my current fall playlist ||

the head and the heart // down in the valley.
florence and the machine // never let me go.
lana del ray // born to die.
coldplay // yellow






enjoy! 
...

TUESDAY TUNES.







now playing // bon iver: flume. if you haven't seen "a take away show" by them or anyone else for that matter, i highly urge you to check it out. i can proudly say it's what made me first fall in love with this band. i had dreams for weeks of walking around paris, listening to them. 
now playing // fleet foxes: helplessness blues. i love this video directed by freddie paul. it's shot over a five month span in arizona and the images are pretty breathtaking. plus, this is one of my favorite ff songs!
now playing // arcade fire: wake up. because if the two songs before have kept you in a sleepy state of mind... just give this a listen. you will be dancing right out of bed. 






hope these tunes help get you through your week. 
enjoy! :)

HILTON HEAD.




we drove down to hilton head late wednesday night to spend a few days with carter's parents. this is always such a special time for us. overdue visits aside, we stay at this breathtaking oceanfront home that belongs to friends of the family. it is heavenly to wake up in one of the glorious king beds in each beautiful room. we were up early thursday. after a small breakfast, the girls took a long walk while the guys hit the market. the views were amazing and the weather was perfect. we spent the afternoon on the beach. i finally got around to starting the happiness project and may i say enjoying it thus far. we played a few games of bocce until the wind picked up and we headed to the pool. for dinner, the grill master aka carter's dad made the best salmon i've ever had. i used a cilantro yogurt dip, some fresh veggies and a little mango salsa to make my fish tacos. and they were good! we were all pretty beat after dinner and shortly after parted ways for the night. i made a barricade with pillows and tried to take up as much of the bed as possible. enjoying every second of comfort, luxury, and not sharing a full bed! even though i missed him every minute :)

STUFF I LOVE SUNDAY.




i love that i'm in love with my best friend. 


that i have someone to share silly secrets with. and that he gets excited over the smallest things which makes me feel even more special. that he loves music just as much as i do and i have someone to go to concerts with, like last night, even if we did spend a little money. and i love that no matter where we are or what we are doing, we always have a good time together. and i just love that he is in my life. 




...

MY HEART'S ON FIRE.





you see the sun as it sets to the west
its sky all ablaze
as darkness begins
stillness of the evening air brings you peace
because at the end of the horizon
I wait with desire, unrivaled and true
send me your strength to complete my day
the beautiful sky will long be remembered
as a symbol of my affection
my heart’s on fire, it's like the sun

a few nights ago we packed up a picnic and warm sweaters and went to the beach to watch the sunset. in the two years we have lived at the beach, we've only been able to do this a few times. he works days, i work nights. so when this opportunity arrived, we took full advantage. the clouds were rolling in quickly. but we got to watch the sun descend over downtown pushing rays of magenta and blood orange onto the shore. we sat for awhile and watched ships sail into the distance. we let the cool waves wash over our feet and watched hundreds of fish jump out of the water. and at that time we realized, it was definitely supper time, for us and the fish.





**we're heading to hilton head this afternoon to spend a couple of days with carter's parents, figure out some moving plans and relax in our favorite home away from home. ill be back soon with too many photos and five pounds heavier :) 

TUESDAY TUNES.






now playing // the avett brothers: live and die. a cheerful and downright catchy song. can't stop humming bits and pieces of this throughout my day.
now playing // mumford & sons: below my feet. OH MY...i may or may not have cried a little just now watching this. the first time i saw this was on snl a few weeks ago while in nashville. the second time around was completely different. it's as if you can feel every word.
now playing // walk the moon: anna sun. just one more catchy tune for your tuesday. this one speaks for itsself. give it a listen!



oh yeah, 
IT'S COLD HERE TODAY!
...

LIFE LATELY.






fall prints // target finds // i grew a mustache // xoxo
diy fall wreath // homemade pizza puffs // domesticated // bagel nation date
dreamy entrance // secret garden // purple berries aka nightlock // sun shining through
my beach setup // lovebirds // yogurt raisins // sun is setting


lately we have been attempting to save a few dollars with the upcoming holidays and a possible re-location. except those two times we went to target, because let's be honest, how do you say no when there? we used a recipe found here for homemade pizza puffs that were delicious. we've been trying to see all of charleston's hidden treasures and appreciate our time left here. we found this beautiful prayer garden and said a prayer for our future. and we spent last night watching the sun set over downtown. the perfect end to such a fulfilling week! 


...

STUFF I LOVE SUNDAY.





i am so thankful for the fall season. not only do i feel obliged to get donuts for lunch but there is also pumpkin flavored everything, everywhere you look. so naturally i have been ordering iced pumpkin coffee and craving cinnamon spiced cupcakes. and since there are so many festive treats out there to try, i get that many more little date nights! 



xo

UNEXPECTED AWESOMENESS,





after what felt like the longest week ever, we were both looking forward to a day off. in the spirit of october, i was ready to pick pumpkins and maybe even go to a haunted house. but after a little deliberation we ended up at boone hall farms instead and ended up having a really tasty lunch. 


i'd say this place won us over the moment we stepped inside. there were pumpkins lining the floor and the smell of cinnamon was almost everywhere you turned. we walked through the market before grabbing lunch at the cafe. we ordered a blt and bbq sandwich with somewhat of an expectation they would be less than stellar. we were pleasantly surprised by how awesome they not only looked but tasted. not to mention our little table. it's finding little places like these that keep me looking for homes here in charleston.




...




BEST CATCH.






while every one is preparing for fall and cooler temperatures (myself included) carter is doing the exact opposite. with the slight possibility of it being our last few months in charleston, just temporarily, this boy is taking advantage of every last drop of summer. whether it be biking to work or hitting the beach, we are doing a lot of outdoor activities these days and i'm not complaining one bit. last week we took the kayaks to a little hidden slip used only by nearby locals. we paddled out with the tide into the atlantic intercoastal waterway. the water was calm and soothing until we heard loud splashes of water coming from a few yards behind us. now, i'm on an alligator kick currently, so i may or may not have gone into a slight panic. i'm told the biggest animal in these waters are usually manatee. (because seeing or falling on to a huge but naturally calm animal sounds a lot better...) we concluded the splashing was most likely the work of hungry dolphin chasing around schools of fish and either way, paddled away not to disturb any one. we fished for a while and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. paddling back against the tide proved to be a little more challenging and even frustrating at times. but overall, the trip was a success. we may not have caught any fish but great times like these remind me that i have the best catch of the day! :)